Wikipedia:Main Page history/2011 August 5

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Today's featured article
Dengue fever is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles. Dengue is transmitted by several species of mosquito within the Aedes genus, principally A. aegypti. The virus has four different types; infection with one type usually gives lifelong immunity to that type, but only short-term immunity to the others. Subsequent infection with a different type increases the risk of severe complications. As there is no vaccine, prevention is sought by reducing the habitat and the number of mosquitoes and limiting exposure to bites. Treatment of acute dengue is supportive, using either oral or intravenous rehydration for mild or moderate disease, and intravenous fluids and blood transfusion for more severe cases. The incidence of dengue fever has increased dramatically since the 1960s, with around 50–100 million people infected yearly. Early descriptions of the condition date from 1779, and its viral cause and the transmission were elucidated in the early 20th century. Dengue has become a worldwide problem since the Second World War and is endemic in more than 110 countries. (more...) Recently featured: Double Seven Day scuffle – Kenesaw Mountain Landis – Egyptian temple Archive – By email – More featured articles...
Did you know...
From Wikipedia's newest content: ... that James E. Lawrence (pictured) was once "considered the greatest place-kicker the University of Michigan ever had"? ... that due to the urban setting of the Great Forest Park Balloon Race some balloonists have landed in yards, golf courses, street intersections, and a walled convent garden? ... that simply knowing about and understanding the illusion of transparency might help reduce speech anxiety? ... that the cost of the final 20-kilometre (12 mi) segment of the Croatian A2 motorway was twice that of the other two-thirds of the route? ... that after five previous attempts to evangelise the Kavango people in German South-West Africa, Joseph Gotthardt's journeys eventually led to the establishment of a mission station in 1910? ... that according to the Hindu epic Ramayana, Jaya gave birth to fifty magical divine weapons? Archive – Start a new article – Nominate an article

In the news
Yani Tseng After months of negotiations, the United States Congress raises the U.S. debt ceiling to avoid a projected default. Researchers announce the discovery of the largest known fungal fruit body, which exceeds 10 metres (33 feet) in length. Government forces crack down on protesters in Hama, a center of the Syrian uprising, killing more than 100 people. Yani Tseng (pictured) wins the Women's British Open, becoming the youngest golfer to win five major championships. A series of attacks, believed to be by the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, occurs in China's Xinjiang region, two weeks after similar attacks. Horn of Africa famine Wikinews – Recent deaths – More current events...
On this day...
August 5: International Beer Day; Independence Day in Burkina Faso (1960) 1772 – Russia, Prussia and Habsburg Austria began the First Partition of Poland to help restore the regional balance of power in Eastern Europe among those three countries. 1858 – American businessman and financier Cyrus West Field (pictured) and his colleagues completed the first transatlantic telegraph cable, crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Valentia Island in Ireland to Heart's Content, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. 1925 – The Welsh political party Plaid Cymru was founded with the goals of promoting the Welsh language and the political independence of the Welsh nation. 1981 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan fired the 11,345 striking members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization en masse. 1995 – Operation Storm: Croatian forces recovered the town of Knin from the Republic of Serbian Krajina. More anniversaries: August 4 – August 5 – August 6 Archive – By email – List of historical anniversaries It is now August 5, 2011 (UTC) – Refresh this page

Today's featured picture

A female Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), a subspecies of tiger native to Central Asia, and her cub. The Siberian tiger is the largest of the extant tiger subspecies as well as the largest felid, attaining 320 kg (710 lb) in an exceptional specimen. Considered an endangered species, the wild population is down to several hundred individuals and is limited to eastern Siberia.

Photo: Dave Pape

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